Blake Mycoskie

MycoskieUnknown author / CC BY-ND 2.0 via Flickr        “Someday’ is a disease that will take your dreams to the grave with you. If it’s important to you and you want to do it ‘eventually,’ just do it and correct course along the way.” - Blake Mycoskie. Mycoskie is a successful and avid entrepreneur who’s made an impact on the world. Like other well-known entrepreneurs, he dropped out of college. Then he started to create many companies, a total of 4 before he struck gold. His company Toms was widely successful, and the special part about Toms is that they have a one for one program. For every pair of shoes, someone buys they donate a pair to the less fortunate in third world countries. A hero must possess selflessness and most importantly bravery. Mycoskie's most prominent traits, selflessness, and bravery, shown through his many accomplishments in life illustrate that he's a hero.

Mycoskie with kids in ArgentinaUnknown author / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0        Mycoskie represents a selfless person through his most successful business venture Toms. Mycoskie was in rural Argentina when he found inspiration: "When Blake Mycoskie founded altruistic footwear brand TOMS in 2006, he had no idea   it would be such a hit. The idea came from his travels around Argentina and his realization that many children were without shoes leaving them vulnerable to disease - particularly the soil-transmitted podoconiosis - and preventing them from getting to school or obtaining medical care" (Toms hits 10 million mark). Mycoskie didn’t make the business with the purpose to just profit and make a bunch of money, he wanted to help others and make a difference. He recognized this huge problem in Argentina and in many other places. So instead of just sitting there, he took action and selflessly created a business to help alleviate the problem. Mycoskie did not stop progressing his philanthropic work, he kept moving forward, “Not only has TOMS supplied shoes to millions of children in need, but they've also helped give sight to 150,000 people all over the world. In 2011 they started to produce a range of sunglasses, selling them using the same 'one for one' mission, but instead providing sight-saving medical treatment or surgery to a person who needs it.” (Toms hits 10 million mark). Blake Mycoskie didn’t stop at just donating shoes. He kept moving forward. He saw another problem in the world that he decided he could help and again decided to selflessly act on it making a difference. As seen, Mycoskie's work in his company Toms reflects how selfless he is.

Mycoskie in actionEd Schipul / CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia        Through Blake Mycoskie's willingness to act upon a problem he sees exemplifies the most important trait of a hero, bravery. Mycoskie recognized a huge problem in these third world countries, "Mycoskie also created a One Day Without Shoes campaign in 2008 to raise awareness for the cause. In interviews to promote his company, he points out that in some parts of the world children cannot attend school unless they own a pair of shoes, and in places like Ethiopia and Haiti, where there are heavy concentrations of volcanic soil, those who go barefoot are at risk of contracting podoconiosis, a condition in which silica from the soil enters the body and causes the lower limbs to swell and harden" (Biography in Context). These kids in these rural places run a risk every day of their lives by simply going outside without shoes. These kids don’t even have the opportunity to get an education, without shoes. Mycoskie isn’t trying to solve all the hardships they go through in their life. However, he’s willing to go to great lengths to just help improve their lives that little bit and make them happier by giving them the opportunity to go to school and play outside. That exemplifies his bravery. Mycoskie made a difference to an amazing amount of people, “Santa Monica, Calif.-based TOMS gave away 10,000 pairs of shoes in the first six months after its launch in 2006. This year the company is on track to donate 200,000 pairs” (Wong Grace). 200,000 that’s a huge number, that means he made a positive difference to 200,000 people, that’s something only a hero would do. To come from an entrepreneur who created four companies to make some money. Then to a brave philanthropist using his business skills to do good for others. Mycoskie is so brave and a hero.

        Blake Mycoskie possesses the most important traits of a hero: selflessness and bravery, their revealed through his business ventures. Mycoskie worked hard to create a philanthropic company that has made a huge difference in so many people's lives. He is an inspiration to all entrepreneurs around the world, “Mycoskie saw many children in need of shoes. He wanted to help”(Blake Mycoskie). Most entrepreneurs start their businesses for the money, however Mycoskie reminds us to reconsider our values. He shows that with hard work anyone can make a difference and solve a problem out there. So if you’re a young ambitious entrepreneur out there follow Mycoskie's brave path and try to put others before yourself. And always remember if you’re ever hesitant on doing something that's important to you, you just need to go for it and remembers Mycoskie's words.